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Memphis, home of rock n’ roll, blues, Elvis, barbeque ribs, Beale Street, Graceland and the Lorainne Motel, site of the National Civil Rights Museum, offers both history and ambiance for couples who are planning their perfect date night -- or day. If you and your partner's idea of a date is something enjoyable and entertaining -- and maybe slightly off-beat -- you will find lots to keep you happy in Memphis.

The Active Couple

How better to impress the athletic-type girl or guy than by climbing a rock wall? The "Memphis Flyer," Memphis' local alternative newspaper, recommends the 35-foot climbing wall at the BRIDGES Center (bridgesusanew.sitewrench.com). If that fails to impress, take your date on a run/walk tour of Memphis with Rockin’ Running Tours (hrockinrunningtours.com), which, as the name implies, is a three- to six-mile course that takes you running – or walking -- past Memphis’ most famous tourist attractions and landmarks. Tours include a T-shirt, snack, water and a photo of you on the tour. The "Memphis Commercial Appeal" recommends taking your date to Range USA (rangeusa.com), where you can sign a waiver -- no license needed -- and rent a gun to shoot at a state-of-the-art indoor shooting range.

The Shoppers

If shopping is your idea of a good date, don’t miss A. Schwab’s (bealestreetonline.com), the only original store left on Beale Street. Here you can find huge denim overalls, bongo drums and Elvis souvenirs, or, if the date isn’t going so well, see the wall of love potions and voodoo paraphernalia. The Beale Street Gift Shop (bealestreetgifts.com) has all the souvenirs of your Memphis date, including Beale Street glasses and T-shirts.

The Romantic Couple

Voted “most romantic restaurant” by readers of the "Memphis Flyer" in 2011, Restaurant Iris’ (restaurantiris.com) award-winning chef offers French-Creole cuisine in a restored Queen Anne house near historic Overton Square. The Peabody Hotel (peabodymemphis), noted for its daily parade of ducks to and from the lobby, houses Old South-inspired Chez Philippe, an upscale dining room. Both a Forbes Four-Star restaurant and a AAA Four-Diamond Award winner, the restaurant serves an English-style afternoon tea several afternoons a week, with a three-course menu of sweets, sandwiches and scones. After your tea, rest in one of the hotel’s Romeo and Juliet suites, which have loft bedrooms, spiral staircases and either a fireplace or wet bar.

The Tourists

Take advantage of Memphis’ river location by taking a sightseeing tour or a cruise down the Mississippi River with your date on a steamboat. Memphis Riverboats (memphisriverboats.net) offers a wine or champagne package, each with your drink of choice, balloons and a special tablecloth. The American Queen (americanqueensteamboatcompany.com) is an authentic steamboat paddle-wheeler that offers destinations and river cruises along with entertainment from well-known bands such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra, spa treatments and fine dining. In downtown Memphis, couples can enjoy touring the city landmarks aboard vintage trolleys (matatransit.com/trolleyService), with restored brass accents and glass transom windows. For a more unusual experience, you and your date can tour the Memphis area in a restored 1955 Cadillac with American Dream Safari (americandreamsafari.com). Tour Memphis neighborhoods, landmarks such as the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, or take the “Juke Joint Full of Blues” tour to visit the back roads of the Mississippi Delta blues scene.

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About the Author

Ava Lee began writing professionally in 1982. She holds a master's and a bachelor's degree in English literature, and has proofread and copy edited for "Better Homes & Gardens" and the American Marketing Association, among other outlets. She has edited for more than 25 years.